


Let's Make Pancakes

by angelofstrawberries



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel and Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester are Jack Kline's Parents, Castiel is Jack Kline's Parent, Cute Jack Kline, Dean Winchester Loves Jack Kline, Dean Winchester is Jack Kline's Parent, Dean Winchester is Loved, Dean is a dad, Destiel - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff, M/M, Other, jack wants to make pancakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29279082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelofstrawberries/pseuds/angelofstrawberries
Summary: Dean just got back from a hunt with Sam, but it didn't go too well. Cas and Jack are worried about Dean. They're the cutest family unit I ever did see.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 8
Kudos: 96





	Let's Make Pancakes

**Author's Note:**

> I personally headcanon that although angels don't NEED to sleep, they CAN if they want to. So of course Cas loves to nap with Dean (and sometimes Jack - he IS their son).

It was late on a Wednesday night when the boys got back from their hunt.

It was only a low-level demon, but it had clearly taken a toll on both of the Winchesters. Castiel looked up from his seat at the map table when he heard the door open – he hadn’t expected them back for another day, at least – only to find the brothers worn, tired, and with hands covered in dried blood.

“Dean, Sam, what happened? Is everything alright?” Cas found his words tumbled out faster than he intended, but seeing the boys so damaged always hurt him. Sam simply looked at him and shook his head as he followed Dean down the stairs. Dean walked towards Cas but refused to make eye contact with him.

Before Dean could reach him, Eileen bounded up from the kitchen, excitement written all over her face. It quickly turned to concern. “What happened?” Her eyes darting between the brothers before she turned towards Sam. Cas put his hand on Dean’s shoulder.

“We couldn’t save them,” Sam answered before pulling Eileen into a hug. Dean stood in front of Cas, still refusing to look anyone in the eye for fear that his carefully held tears would burst free. Cas seemed to understand what he needed in that moment, because he pulled Dean’s head down to his own shoulder and wrapped his arms around Dean’s back. Sam looked over at his brother with concern, and shared a look with Cas, confirmation that the angel would look after his brother, before he took Eileen’s hand and headed to their room.

“Where’s Jack?” Dean whispered into Cas’ coat.

“Asleep.” That was all Dean needed to know to give himself permission to cry. He couldn’t break down if Jack was there, but as Cas rubbed his hands up and down Dean’s back, swaying them slightly, he let the dam break. Tears fell slowly while Dean tried to keep his breathing in check. They stay like that for a few minutes, Cas knows Dean needs to let this out. As they sway, Cas thinks about how proud of Dean he is. This trauma-ridden, exhausted, beautiful human has finally learnt over the past few years to feel his emotions instead of repressing them, and to share them with the people he loves, and who love him. He just wishes he could show Dean the extent of his love for him.

Dean’s hands tightened in the back of Cas’ coat. “Kids.” It came out croaky and quiet, but Cas heard him clear as day anyway.

“Kids?”

Dean pulled back from Cas just enough to take his angel’s hands between them. “The demon,” he huffed, frustrated with himself for struggling to speak. “It knew we were closing in. It-” His voice caught in his throat, and a sob choked out before he could stop it. Cas’ thumbs drew circles on the backs of Dean’s hands. “It wanted to go out with a bang, I guess.” He finally looked up from the floor and into Cas’ eyes. Cas felt his heart break at the sight, but he stayed quiet, waiting for Dean to finish saying whatever he needed to get out. “It took a school bus, Cas.” Tears streamed steadily down Dean’s face. “Twenty or so kids. They were only in the first grade.” His voice failed him on the last word, and he dropped his gaze to his hands in Cas’. “We were too late,” he whispered.

Cas knows Dean feels responsible for the deaths, despite knowing logically it wasn’t his fault. “Did you get the demon?” he asked quietly.

Dean nodded, but Cas saw his lips quivering and the way he swallowed down another sob. “They’re still dead, Cas. Their families still have to identify the- the _remains_. I- I should’ve stopped it.” Cas knew no amount of logic would help Dean right now, so he pulled him into another hug. Dean cried quietly into Cas’ coat collar for what must’ve been twenty minutes, Cas whispering a constant stream of “it’s okay,” “shh,” and “I love you.” Eventually Dean ran out of tears and tiredness began to overcome him. Even then, he didn’t move. He wanted to stay in Cas’ arms forever. It was quiet, and safe, and he could practically feel the concern rolling off of his angel in waves. But of course that peace couldn’t last forever.

“Dean?” Both he and Cas whipped their heads up at the voice, which had come from the library. Jack stood, in a white t-shirt and far-too-big grey trackpants, at the farthest table, eyes squinting against the bright overhead lights. Cas kept one arm around Dean, who was wiping his face with the backs of his hands.

“Jack, why are you up? It’s 4am,” Cas asked as Jack walked towards them.

“Sam woke me up. He came to check on me, but he has a really heavy foot,” Jack smiled briefly. “He told me what happened.” Cas and Dean looked at one another for a second, and Cas knew Dean wouldn’t speak when his voice carried evidence of his tears.

“Jack, uh, Dean and I are going to go to bed, why don’t we talk about it in the morning?” Jack’s head tilted in that oh-so-very _Cas_ way, which almost made Dean smile. “But it is morning,” Jack queried.

“Well, yes, but Dean needs to sleep right now.”

“Oh, okay,” Jack smiled, but his eyes were sad. Cas knew he was concerned for Dean, but he also knew that Dean doesn’t like showing so-called weakness around him. “Goodnight Dean,” Jack smiled directly at the hunter this time, feigning innocence because he too knew that Dean would want to hide his pain. Cas led the way to their room, Dean being dragged along by his left hand, with his eyes glazed over, as if he were somewhere else entirely.

Cas began getting changed while Dean washed the blood off of his hands in the bathroom. Usually this wouldn’t affect him too much, but this blood didn’t come from a fight. It was simply where he’d touched a girl’s neck to try and find a pulse, only to realise all of the children were already dead. All except one. The demon had kept a boy alive as a prize kill, seemingly just to see the look on the hunters’ faces as it slit his throat. Demons were even more sadistic these days than they used to be, since all order in hell had fallen with Crowley a long time ago. Dean actually kind of missed the old King of Hell for a second.

Dean was snapped out of his trance by Cas calling out to him. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he called back as he dried his hands. Once Dean had gotten changed into the first pair of comfy pants and old t-shirt he could find, he sat on the edge of the bed. Cas settled in against the headboard and looked at Dean with concern. He didn’t know what to say to make it better, but he wanted nothing more than to see Dean happy again. Suddenly Dean leant backwards, flipping his legs up onto the bed and resting his head on Cas’ stomach. His arms were crossed, his muscles tense, and his eyes empty. Cas didn’t know what to do, so he let his hands go where they pleased – one settled on Dean’s shoulder, and the other softly dragging through his hair.

\---

Jack paced around the library, considering whether he should leave Dean to deal with his emotions, or go show him the love he deserves. Sam had seemed okay, mostly worried about how Dean would deal with the case, so of course Jack was worried too. After a while, he couldn’t lie to himself anymore – he wanted to tell Dean that it wasn’t his fault, that he is loved, that he’s a good man. So he let his feet carry him to Cas and Dean’s room. He knocked and waited for one of them to say something – he’d learned the uncomfortable way what happens when you burst in on these two unexpectedly.

“Come in.” It was Dean’s voice, which Jack was glad to hear, despite how obviously tired he sounded. He pushed open the door to find Dean laying with his head on Cas’ stomach and Cas’ hands in his hair, both illuminated only by the lamp on Castiel’s side of the bed.

“Jack. Is everything alright?” Cas asked, his hands coming to rest on Dean’s shoulders. Dean watched as Jack closed the door and walked towards them. He didn’t reply to Cas, only sat next to Dean hesitantly. He looked at them both before giving in and curling up next to Dean, settling so that his head rested on Dean’s shoulder. Dean welcomed this, although confused, and wrapped his arm over Jack’s shoulders.

“Dean…” Jack said quietly. “I just want to tell you-” he paused, and Dean shifted to get a better look at him. “I love you, and you’re a brilliant hunter, and it isn’t your fault that people die sometimes. You’ve saved so many people, Dean, and you’ve given the world so much.” Tears were beginning to well in Dean’s eyes. “You can’t save everyone, and those deaths aren’t your fault, they’re the demons’.” The tears began falling from Dean’s eyes, but these ones hurt a lot less.

Cas moved his hands so that one was resting on the shoulders of both Dean and Jack, and he squeezed them gently. He could see the emotion on Dean’s face and knew that Jack had said the right things, because Dean was smiling, ever so slightly, down at him. Cas felt the smile on his own face grow, and his own tears began to build. He was so happy to have this little family, these imperfect people in their perfectly intertwined lives. “I love you both, so, so, so much.”

Dean reached his free hand up and tangled his fingers with Cas’. “I love you. And you,” he said, leaning to kiss the crown of Jack’s head. He settled back into Cas, and realised his guilt had faded a little. It was still there, of course, he _is_ Dean Winchester after all, but it wasn’t all-consuming anymore. He had room to feel the love that his angel and their son poured into him. He smiled when Jack snored quietly, and again when he felt Cas’ hand fall from his shoulder as he fell asleep. Dean allowed himself the quiet joy of revelling in this moment, in the love he felt, in the safety.

“Thank you,” he whispered, before drifting off to sleep himself.

* * *

The next morning Dean woke up with Jack still squished into his side, but now wide awake. Cas had slid down as they slept so he now lay with his chin resting on Dean’s head, one arm thrown across his chest and the other squished under his own shoulder. Dean could hear Sam and Eileen bickering in the kitchen – early rising nerds. He didn’t want to move, for this moment to end. He felt more loved than ever before.

“Dean?” Jack mumbled when he realised Dean was awake.

“Hmm?”

“Can we make pancakes for breakfast?”

Dean let out a quiet chuckle at the hope in his voice, mindful that Cas was still asleep. “Yeah, but only if I can steal the batter.”

“Yay!” Jack smiled, jumping up and running towards the kitchen where Dean could hear the coffee machine running. Dean rolled over to cuddle into Castiel, wrapping his arms around him and breathing deeply. Cas pulled him in even closer.

“You’re awake,” Cas whispered into the crown of Dean’s head. He hummed happily in response. “Last night, I was thinking…” Dean looked up at his angel, who had a deep and thoughtful expression on his face. “One day you’ll be gone, and I won’t have changed at all.”

“Cas… Don’t think about that.” Dean reached up to stroke his face.

“What I mean is, I don’t want to live without you, Dean.”

“I know.”

“So what if…” he trailed off.

“What?” He asked. When Cas only looked into his eyes, he stopped his hand movements and asked again, “What are you thinking?”

“I’ve been human before.” Oh. _Oh_.

“Wait, wait, wait. You wanna rip out your grace? Are you crazy?!” Dean’s voice rose with every word, his eyes wide.

“Well I don’t really need it anymore, do I? We only ever take cases nearby, or when Claire needs help. I don’t even fly anywhere anymore, Dean. The greatest use my powers have is healing your wounds.” Dean’s eyes were growing softer by the second. “I miss being able to taste food. I miss experiencing life with real human emotions. I want to love you and grow old with you, Dean.”

Dean let out a shaky sigh. “What if something horrible happens? What if we-”

“It’s not like my grace will be gone forever, Dean.” Cas reached up to hold his lover’s face in one hand, the other tracing lines up and down his side. “I could keep it on a necklace, like your old amulet. Or just somewhere safe.” He took a breath. “I want to be human with you, Dean. Please.”

Dean almost started crying in that moment. His heart swelled as the love of his life told him he was willing to give up divinity in order to grow old with him. Cas had stopped to just look at him, love visible in his eyes. Dean took a second to admire him before quickly kissing him and whispering “okay” against his lips. Cas pulled him in for a much more passionate kiss.

“I’m not helping you break the news to Jack, though. Kid’s gonna be heartbroken,” Dean laughed. “Who’s gonna help him play dumbass pranks on me and Sam?”

Cas laughed, at both the reminder of the many angelic pranks he and Jack had played on the boys, and the smile left on Dean’s face. “Oh, I will _definitely_ still be helping him with those.”


End file.
